Harshbarger line: Adam Koch Sr. died 1807.

 Adam Koch is such a challenge.  I am not sure that the lineage I'm suggesting is correct.  It's more of a theory and is based on indications that many of the on line trees are not correct.  For instance, several trees show him as having died in North Carolina in 1817.  That wasn't this Adam Koch, although it's possible that it is a grandson.  My understanding is that there were at least five men of the name in Berks County, Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary War, and I am certain that there is a good deal of confusion about them.

To start with, Adam Koch born 1758 who married Anna Maria Lenig (Lennich or Bennich are other spellings but seem to be the same person), daughter of Thomas and Barbara Lenig, left a will naming sons Adam and Henry, so there are two Adams already.  I believe that Henry, born in 1794, is the Henry Cook who went to Summit County Ohio and then to Whitley County, Indiana.  The Adam born 1758 I think is the Adam born to Adam and Anna Catherine Duckner, although I am not absolutely sure of the mother's identity.  But the Adam who died in 1807 did leave a widow Catherine, so I'm not ready to say this is not his wife.  

Then it gets more confusing, because in 1751 a ship arrived in Philadelphia carrying Adam, Adam Jr, Michael, and Michael Jr., all named Koch.  Adam Jr. would have had to have been at least 16 years old to have been separately listed.  I'm thinking this is the Adam Koch who died in 1807, and there is another, as yet not identified Adam Koch also on this ship.  He may possibly be Adam "Jr's" father, and if so, he would have had to have been born by about 1710.  I have not yet found anything further about him.  

So this post, although I've titled it "Sr", is actually, I think, about the man referred to as "Jr" in the passenger list.  His birthdate is generally given as 1735, which may or may not be accurate.  There were males named Adam Koch born in 1735 in at least two different towns in what is now Germany, but I haven't been able to tie either of those to this Adam Koch.  Perhaps the date of 1735 is a "by" date, based on the idea that Adam would have been at least 16 in 1751. He could be older.  (For reference, his father could be John Adam, or Matthias, or Michael, or someone else entirely.)  

Adam settled in Bern township in Berks County, Pennsylvania.  He was likely a farmer, and was probably there during some of the uprisings of the native Americans, goaded on by the French, during the French and Indian war.  If he was there, he probably was part of the militia that protected families, including his own, during that time, and may or may not have been what was considered active duty.  

Adam was part of the Revolutionary War, of that we are reasonably certain.  He applied for a pension from the state in 1806 and it was granted by the Pennsylvania state legislature , shortly before he died in 1807.   The record shows that he was shot at Brandywine in 1777, taking a "musquet" ball beneath the right eye that came out below his right ear.  The petition states that it also damaged his "intellects".  Yet he was at Fort West Point (also known as Fort Clinton) not long after, where he was injured when a log crushed his chest.  From what I can determine, he must have been on the construction crew that helped build the fort.  

We don't know much about Adam's life after the war.  He is listed on some tax forms, still in Bern Township, and in the 1790 census.  I am not sure that I've located him in the 1800 census, although there is a man named Adam Koch, a mason by trade, in Reading at that time.  I think this is a different Adam Koch, but I'm not sure which one he is.  The Adam I'm writing about here died in Bern Township.  

He did leave a will but it is in German. It was written March 27, 1807 and probated March 1, 1807.  A brief abstract translation gives his wife, Catherine, the house and land for life.  After her death, son John was to have the first chance to purchase the land, if he would give as much as anyone else, and the money was to be equally divided among his other children.  

I will keep looking for additional records to document Adam's life.  I don't have anything in writing to show that Adam and Catherine were the parents of the Adam who married Anna Maria, but I probably have not found the right resources yet.  The dates are presented firmly in some of the trees, and they make sense, so I have great hope that this is correct.  

Our families have a lot of Revolutionary War soldiers, but this, I believe, is the first that has such good documentation, showing where he was and what happened at two different parts of the war.  We can be proud to have this man in our tree!

The line of descent is

Adam Koch-Catherine

Adam Koch-Anna Maria Lenig

Henry Cook-Catherine Whetstone

William Cook-Elizabeth Brown

Barbara Cook-William Withers

William Withers-Della Kemery

Goldie Withers-Grover Harshbarger

Cleveland Harshbarger-Mary Beeks

Their descendants